Midmajors Deserve Better--New York Times article

[MadaboutWu]

"If there is one major theme that has run through the rollicking first four days of the N.C.A.A. tournament, it is that the committee has yet again undervalued the caliber of the midmajor teams. There are 11 conferences represented in the Round of 16 this year, an astounding show of diversity for a tournament whose selection process seems to fight it.

Last year, the N.C.A.A. tournament committee invited just four at-large teams from outside the power conferences. This year, that number doubled to eight. Is it a coincidence that last year’s tournament lacked the buzz of this year’s?"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/sports/ncaabasketball/22thamel.html?ref=sports

[Txlen]

Definitely need more articles like that. And, yes, it has been a more exciting tournament this year.

Let's just hope that the "East Coast Bias" is beginning to open up to the reality of the quality of basketball being played at schools outside of the BCS conferences.

Oh, I know, I am hoping for too much!

[Aargh]

I think even the East Coast media has picked up on the inaccuracies CBS and ESPN have been spouting about mids (and the Valley in particular) and are going to point out the error in appropriate ways to make the braodcast media guys look a little silly. Print journalists do enjoy that.

[WstateU]

Re: Midmajors Deserve Better--New York Times article

"If there is one major theme that has run through the rollicking first four days of the N.C.A.A. tournament, it is that the committee has yet again undervalued the caliber of the midmajor teams. There are 11 conferences represented in the Round of 16 this year, an astounding show of diversity for a tournament whose selection process seems to fight it.

Last year, the N.C.A.A. tournament committee invited just four at-large teams from outside the power conferences. This year, that number doubled to eight. Is it a coincidence that last year’s tournament lacked the buzz of this year’s?"



http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/sp...tml?ref=sports

:good: :good:

[AZ Shocker]

It's funny how we always read these articles after the season. How about some major newspapers across the nation start writing these types of articles a few weeks leading up to March Madness. Maybe it would create some "awarness" to college basketball fans of other teams and conferences.

It's silly to knock Minnesota, Norte Dame, Villanova and some others after the point. Duh...

[ShockBand]

Here is another good article, sorry if I missed seeing it elsewhere.

Stewart Mandel, Inside College Baketball - In the modern era, NCAA upsets aren't that surprising anymore

[SirShoxAlot]

Elgin's quote near the end that was to the effect of some teams flying under the radar that are in other tournaments but didn't get a chance to make some noise in the NCAA Tourney translates to...

Wichita State should have been in.

[150946shox]

I made it a point to send notes to the writers of both articles above to thank them for their willingness to provide support for the so called Mid Majors. Let them know we appreciate it.

[shock]

I think its sad when you have to talk expansion to talk getting more "mid-major" teams in. I don't know what the solution is to the problem, and I won't pretend to know, but something needs to be done while leaving the tournament the way it is.

[tgcshock]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/22/AR2010032202228.html

Whether or not you agree with the premise of this John Feinstein article, it is nice for statements like this to be published in the national media:

Ask the ACC power brokers, who thought conference expansion was such a swell idea. That's worked out so well that over the past five seasons, the ACC has sent one fewer school to the round of 16 (Duke, North Carolina and Boston College) than the Missouri Valley (Wichita State, Bradley, Southern Illinois and now Northern Iowa.)

That stat is one of the reasons that UNI's victory over KU should not be considered an epic "upset."

[shock]

if the tournament is expanded we can forget the idea of more mid major schools getting in. it will be a tourny for the big boys. nothing is going to change the thought that mid major is inferior.

[RoyalShock]

if the tournament is expanded we can forget the idea of more mid major schools getting in. it will be a tourny for the big boys. nothing is going to change the thought that mid major is inferior.

What do you base this prediction on?

[shock]

if the tournament is expanded we can forget the idea of more mid major schools getting in. it will be a tourny for the big boys. nothing is going to change the thought that mid major is inferior.

What do you base this prediction on?

The lack of respect so called "mid-major" schools get. "Mid Major" is a frame of mind that was started and pertains to college football. The fact that the term "mid major" is saddled to colleges like WSU is bull. Just because we arn't a football school doesn't mean WSU isn't a "Major" basketball school. the whole "major/mid major" thing is getting old. people need to wake up and realize that one school could be just as good as another, regardless of conference or football program.

[The Mad Hatter]

My concern is not that mid-majors won't get more invites if the field expands (I think they will), but that they play-in round will become an elimination round for mid-majors, playing against each other for the right to play the bigger conference teams.

Going to 96 teams means that the top 32 seeds will have a huge advantage over the rest of the field, and they way mid-majors will be discriminated against will not be inclusion in the tournament, but inclusion in the first-round bye group.

[RoyalShock]

if the tournament is expanded we can forget the idea of more mid major schools getting in. it will be a tourny for the big boys. nothing is going to change the thought that mid major is inferior.

What do you base this prediction on?

The lack of respect so called "mid-major" schools get. "Mid Major" is a frame of mind that was started and pertains to college football. The fact that the term "mid major" is saddled to colleges like WSU is bull. Just because we arn't a football school doesn't mean WSU isn't a "Major" basketball school. the whole "major/mid major" thing is getting old. people need to wake up and realize that one school could be just as good as another, regardless of conference or football program.

And that automatically means future selection committees will spurn the "mids" when it comes to additional at-large selections?